Remember when you were younger and you could always hide your grades from your parents? That was until the report card was sent home. The U4 is the "report card" of your financial planner's background. That means if he's done anything wrong and a complaint has been filed against him, it will be shown here.

As much as I hate to admit it, this editor has never had a serious sit-down with a financial planner, so if you've got experience hiring a pro, let's hear how you found your financial planner—and what questions you asked before diving in—in the comments.